PHUKET: A leading Phuket resort owner today rejected claims that the new Pullman Phuket Arcadia Nai Thon Beach is being constructed on national park land.
Maitree Narukatpichai, whose family owns the Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort and Spa and the boutique Villa Zolitude, told Phuketwan: ''We are very confident that we have the title deeds.''
The new 1.5 billion baht Pullman, due to open on November 1 for Phuket's 2012-2013 high season, was inspected today by Damrong Pidech, Director General of the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department.
He and other officials from Bangkok and Phuket looked over the property and said the authenticity of the land title still needed to be established.
''If it is proven that public land has been encroached upon, we will take that land back, whether the people involved in the dispute are large or small,'' he told accompanying Phuket media.
He has set up a special committee to check the Pullman site at Nai Thon beach, not far south from Phuket International Airport, and other properties close to the Sirinath National Park.
As many as 10 resorts, valued at billions of baht, are involved in the review.
About 30 percent of 12,000 rai in land titles being investigated nationwide by the Office of the National Anti Corruption Commission are on Phuket.
Khun Damrong said today that his department had greater power than the Forests Department. The rights and wrongs of the matter would be pursued even if it was discovered that staff in his department had been paid to turn a blind eye.
The manager of the resort construction project, Wiranan Pitupakorn, said today that everything had been done by the law.
Khun Maitree repeated this evening that he was confident that all the correct paperwork could be produced.
''We have complied with the law every step of the way,'' he said. Khun Maitree said he had consulted with the Phuket provincial attorney and added that all was proceeding as planned for a November opening.
The people involved in today's inspection were ''just doing their jobs,'' he said.
Maitree Narukatpichai, whose family owns the Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort and Spa and the boutique Villa Zolitude, told Phuketwan: ''We are very confident that we have the title deeds.''
The new 1.5 billion baht Pullman, due to open on November 1 for Phuket's 2012-2013 high season, was inspected today by Damrong Pidech, Director General of the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department.
He and other officials from Bangkok and Phuket looked over the property and said the authenticity of the land title still needed to be established.
''If it is proven that public land has been encroached upon, we will take that land back, whether the people involved in the dispute are large or small,'' he told accompanying Phuket media.
He has set up a special committee to check the Pullman site at Nai Thon beach, not far south from Phuket International Airport, and other properties close to the Sirinath National Park.
As many as 10 resorts, valued at billions of baht, are involved in the review.
About 30 percent of 12,000 rai in land titles being investigated nationwide by the Office of the National Anti Corruption Commission are on Phuket.
Khun Damrong said today that his department had greater power than the Forests Department. The rights and wrongs of the matter would be pursued even if it was discovered that staff in his department had been paid to turn a blind eye.
The manager of the resort construction project, Wiranan Pitupakorn, said today that everything had been done by the law.
Khun Maitree repeated this evening that he was confident that all the correct paperwork could be produced.
''We have complied with the law every step of the way,'' he said. Khun Maitree said he had consulted with the Phuket provincial attorney and added that all was proceeding as planned for a November opening.
The people involved in today's inspection were ''just doing their jobs,'' he said.
He must be one of foreigners taking over Phuket..lol
Posted by talk on July 11, 2012 22:21